Spirit

By Ms. Brookie M. Craig, Tsalagi,
9 June 1995

I sit, hearing the voices that cry out through the winds for Justice
and whisper the pain of their betrayals in my heart. I hear these
words always...and wish I could find the way for others to feel them.

I think that you do.

For that....I am very grateful.

I have lived many seasons....seen many things...and like yanu, my fur
is a bit tattered...worn and frayed, but my heart still feels the
timeless beauty of the joy given by the gifts of the Sacred Ones. I
have heard the words spoken...over and over...the empty promises...I
have seen the hunger of my Peoples who wish only to be free in a land
that promises this to all, but never allows it to be so.

I am growing older...and the winters are colder now..and the songs a
little harder to hear but I am thankful they are still there.

There is so little time for the fire to burn brighter...for it to
sweep our turtle island consuming the evil of slavery...for that is
what we are as long as our right to self determine is withheld from
us...slaves. And if that light does not shine on in the darkness the
souls of my People will always be enslaved. The young must take the
torch...run with it...never faltering in their journey to give the
messages from the winds for all to hear.

They have taken our Eagles....our messages are harder now to hear...I
ask you to not only to record the songs the feathered People sing to
your ears..but to send them to all who need the melody in their
hearts.

My Grandmother spoke to me of our People's demise...that someday
we will no longer be able to care for the land....I hope the Ghost
Dancers are right...that we shall return....but if we do not...there
will be no one left to hear the Eagle's messages and tell the
others of its sacred messages. I fear much for this. For when the
heart of the People stops beating....the eagle plunges to Mother
Earth....and all is lost. Our People are losing their hearts.

Once, I was asked by a Spirit Child in our Circle...Grandmother,
what would you ask if you could have one wish?

In that question I saw the bodies of 4,000 of my People who died of
the mistreatment on the Trail of Tears....the 350 frozen corpses left
on the slaughter called Wounded Knee....the hundreds of women, old
ones and babies butchered at Sand Creek...the thousands who had their
noses cut off as bounties during the Indian wars....the rape of
our beautiful Mother...the broken words...betrayals...and my heart
immediately spoke its answer....

I would wish for someone in the Government to say...I am sorry for
what we did.

I know that I shall never live to hear those words but wish someday
that they may be spoken to you.

REMEMBERING NATHAN JIM, JR

Believe the Dream

For someday I too, shall transform, and if the fire is not kept
burning it shall go out for all. Hear these words well. Listen to
your heart.